In a move that proves the ancient grunge proverb, "Just because you're
paranoid doesn't mean that they're not after you," the federal Drug Enforcement
Administration descended upon Santa Cruz's model medical pot farm in a
pre-Sept. 11 surprise raid that slaps the face of Cali's voter-approved
1996 ballot measure, Prop. 215 allowing for the use of medical pot.

The next day, a small but critical mass
of protesters took their "DEA Go Away" and other pro-pot-prescription signs
to One First Street in downtown SJ to present their opinions in front of
the building that houses local drug enforcement officials.

The protest
was thrown by the pro-medic-pot grassroots Safe Access Now campaign and
organized by DENNIS UMPHRESS, a Libertarian candidate running for the San
Jose congressional seat held by Dem ZOE LOFGREN.

While it's hard to take
a Libertarian seriously when he or she talks about tweaking laws--since
the party is supposedly about getting rid of government--Umphress made
an effective (though perhaps a wee bit off topic) point when he railed
against the huge sentences that cause some pot possessors to stay in prison
longer than some rapists and murderers.

More on point were 51-year-old
LOREY CAPELLI from the Santa Cruz Mountains and 59-year-old WALTER COKER
from Mountain View.

Both have doctor recommendations to smoke pot--Capelli
for multiple sclerosis and Coker for chronic back pain, among other things.

Mountain View computer security guy ALAN ROCKEFELLER, 24 (who IS a relation,
but wouldn't say how), came out to the protest because, he said, "I'll
go anywhere where they're fighting the drug war.

What the DEA is doing
is unjust and not a very good use of my tax dollars." Eye'll smoke to that.